The Hollywood Piano Company celebrates its 85th birthday this year by moving into a new larger facility in Burbank. Right now they are conducting a giant moving sale of their massive inventory with savings of up to 75% off on retail. Glenn Treibitz of Hollywood Piano said, “We’d rather sell it at cost than pay to move it.” They have over 100 pianos in stock and everything from uprights to baby grands to grands to player grands to digital pianos.

Founded in 1928, Hollywood Piano is one of the oldest continually operating piano companies in the nation. Where did Warner Brothers get the piano that was recently auctioned off in New York, from Casablanca? Hollywood Piano of course. Although founded in Hollywood the company has had locations in Burbank since the 1950s. The Hollywood Piano Company was not a grand scheme or plan; it was born from circumstance when a Russian immigrant in the construction business got paid in pianos for a construction job. At first he didn’t know what to do with these pianos. Then he had an idea when one of his neighbors asked if he would rent her a piano for their children to take lessons on. And so, a Hollywood institution was born.

Many customers of the early years included the major film studios and such motion picture icons as Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Norma Talmadge, Cecil B. De Mille, Walt Disney, and Louis B. Mayer. At the same time hundreds of families were renting pianos for the princely sum of $2.50 per month. Today they still rent pianos starting at just a dollar a day.

Their original landmark Hollywood location was a magnet for the biggest stars of the day. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell stopped in right after they put their hands in cement at Grauman’s Chinese back in 1952. Jane proceeded to play the piano while Marilyn sang. A riot almost broke out. Frank Sinatra was a regular customer of the store often buying pianos as gifts for his friends. It was not rare to find Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Vic Damone, all hanging out in the store at the same time. Hollywood Piano became the key supplier of pianos to the burgeoning motion picture industry. Till this day most pianos you see in a TV show or in a movie were provided by Hollywood Piano Company.

Treibitz said, “We’re excited about our move. We’ll have a bigger facility with expanded rooms for both group and private teaching, plus a large room we can offer to the public for meetings and events. Also, we’ll be right on the 5 freeway.” Their moving sale is into its final stages with just weeks until the renovation work on their new building is complete. If you ever thought about a piano, now may be the perfect time.

The Hollywood Piano Company’s current address is 1033 Hollywood Way in Burbank. The new address is 323 S. Front St. in Burbank after March 1. For more information, give them a call at 1-800-MYPIANO [].